JP4731750B2 - Image capturing apparatus and image acquisition method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a photographing device for a person and a face photograph and a method for acquiring a photographed image.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, on streets, it is commonly referred to as “Purikura”, and it is a person photo vending machine that shoots the print image by itself or in groups, and shoots at the certificate size and sells the print image A certificate vending machine for certificate is installed, and in either case, the person to be photographed can easily obtain a person image photograph or a certificate photograph by waiting for several minutes after photographing.
[0003]
As a means of taking a face image for a person or certificate, a photographing device that uses a silver salt film or a digital camera to photograph, develop, burn, or output to a printer to provide an image is generally used. Has been.
[0004]
A conventional photographic device can be easily photographed by one person, but since photographing is performed automatically, for example, at the moment of photographing, the line of sight does not face the front, blinks, moves, etc. If you do not notice it, you may not be able to use it for a certificate until you see the completed image, or you may end up with an image that does not suit you. In such a case, there has been a problem that the person to be photographed has to pay the fee again and take a picture again.
[0005]
In particular, when using a photographed face image for a certificate, it is important that the line of sight is facing the front, and it is necessary that the image be in line with one's intention.
[0006]
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-271951, a person to be photographed is photographed a plurality of times, a plurality of images stored in the storage means are sequentially displayed, and the photographed person selects a favorite image from among the images that are sequentially displayed. Thus, a technique for preventing the reception of an image that does not match his will is disclosed. In this case, since images are sequentially displayed, it is difficult to select a favorite image by comparison, and it takes time to select.
[0007]
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-284356, a magic mirror is provided in front of a photographing apparatus, and a photographed image displayed on a monitor is displayed on the magic mirror so that a favorite image can be selected. A technique is disclosed in which the eyes of the camera are directed toward the photographing apparatus. In this case, the photographed image is displayed on the photographing device side, but since the displayed image is not at the position of the subject's line of sight, the subject's line of sight faces the displayed image, or the photographing device is Since it is not stable, it is difficult to obtain an image with the eyes facing the front. Further, if a reflecting surface such as a magic mirror is arranged on the optical path of the photographing apparatus, the light is scattered, which may cause a reduction in quality of an image obtained by photographing. Although it is possible to remove the magic mirror from the optical path at the time of shooting, the drive unit becomes complicated and the shooting device becomes expensive. In addition, when the surface of the magic mirror becomes dirty, it may cause a reduction in the quality of an image that can be taken.
[0008]
Under these circumstances, it is desired to develop an image capturing apparatus and an image acquisition method that are capable of obtaining a favorite image with a line of sight facing the front in a short period of time without causing deterioration of an image to be captured.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and the object is to provide a photographing apparatus capable of obtaining a favorite image with a line of sight facing in a short time without any deterioration in the quality of an image that can be photographed. The object is to provide an image acquisition method.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above object of the present invention has been achieved by the following constitution.
[0011]
1) Photographing means for photographing a person to be photographed; operation means for causing the photographing means to photograph the photographed person once for each operation by the photographed person; and photographing an image photographed by the photographing means. Display after each of a plurality of predetermined shootings by the shooting unit, a display unit that displays an image shot by the shooting unit at a time, and an arbitrary one of the images displayed on the display unit An image output means for outputting the image stored in the storage means, a storage means for storing the image selected by the selection means, and a storage means for storing the image selected by the selection means. apparatus.
[0012]
2) The selection means is a means for performing selection by manually operating the photographed person, and the photographed person selects an arbitrary image from the images displayed on the display means. (1) The imaging apparatus according to (1).
[0013]
3) Each time the operation means is operated by the person to be photographed, the photographing means photographs the photographed person once, and the image photographed by the photographing means is not displayed on the display means every time the photographing is performed. after a predetermined plurality of times of photographing is finished, the images photographed by the photographing means is displayed on the display unit at a time, selected by the selection means any image from said image displayed on said display means, said A method for acquiring an image, comprising: storing the selected image by a storage unit; and outputting the stored image by an output unit.
[0014]
4) The selection means is a means for performing selection by manually operating the photographed person, and the photographed person selects an arbitrary image from the images displayed on the display means. 3. The method for acquiring an image according to 3).
[0015]
5) The method for acquiring an image according to 3), wherein, in the image displayed on the display unit, when there is no image to be selected by the selection unit, photographing is performed again by the photographing unit.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a photographing apparatus and an image acquisition method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
[0017]
The photographing apparatus of the present invention is a photographing apparatus of a type that displays a photographed image at a time when all photographing is completed at once, in order to make it easier for the line of sight of the subject to face the front during photographing. Say. The image to be displayed is an image that can be used practically by deleting, for example, blurred images, images with poor lighting, images with poor color balance, etc. that occurred due to mechanical troubles of the imaging device. You may display all the image | photographed images. “Display at a time” means to display on the display means once, including the time required to display a plurality of captured images on the display means.
[0018]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a subject takes a picture by operating a photographing apparatus.
[0019]
The imaging apparatus 1 includes an imaging unit 101, an illumination unit 102, a display unit 103 that displays a captured image, and an image output unit 104. 2 indicates a person to be photographed, 3 indicates a chair on which the person to be photographed 2 is seated, 105 indicates a selection means for selecting a favorite image from images displayed on the display means 103, and 106 indicates a photographing The operation means of the apparatus 1 is shown. Note that the selection unit 105 and the operation unit 106 may be integrated.
[0020]
Usually, the photographing apparatus 1 is installed in a narrow place (not shown) where one to five persons can shield the surroundings so that external light does not directly hit the photographing means 101 and the face of the person 2 to be photographed. .
[0021]
Photographing can be performed by the person to be photographed 2 sitting on the chair 3 placed in front of the photographing apparatus 1, turning his eyes on the photographing means 101, and operating the operating means 106 at hand. After the photographing is completed, the photographed person 2 operates the operation unit 106, whereby the photographed image is displayed on the display unit 103 at a time. The photographed person 2 can select a favorite image from a plurality of images displayed on the display unit 103 by operating the selection unit 105, and can obtain a printed image from the image output unit 104. . The number of images to be selected may be one or plural.
[0022]
As the photographing unit 101, a digital video camera, a digital still camera, or the like is used, a strobe, a halogen lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or the like is used for the illumination unit 102, and a liquid crystal monitor, a CRT monitor, or the like is used for the display unit 103. . As the selection means 105, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pen, or the like is used.
[0023]
Note that the number of times of photographing may be set in advance, or may be determined freely by the subject.
[0024]
The image output means 104 is not particularly limited as long as it can output digital image information of a photographed image, and examples thereof include an ink jet printer, a thermal transfer printer, and a sublimation printer. From the image output means 104, it is also possible to output the image by changing the size of the image according to the request of the subject 2.
[0025]
The imaging device 1 of the present invention does not display on the display means 103 for each shooting when outputting the image of the photographed subject, and displays and displays the images taken at the time when all the shootings are completed. A method is employed in which the subject selects a favorite image from the plurality of images.
[0026]
When an image is displayed on the display unit 103 for each shooting, the subject's line of sight is directed to the displayed image, and the line of sight is easily removed from the shooting unit, and the line of sight does not face the front during the next shooting. When shooting is performed in a state, there is a greater risk of an image that does not match the user's intention, and re-shooting may occur.
[0027]
In the method of the present invention, since the image is not displayed on the display means 103 every time shooting is performed, the person to be shot can concentrate on shooting. For this reason, since the line of sight of the subject being photographed is always directed to the photographing means, it is possible to eliminate photographing that is out of sight. In addition, the user can select a favorite image easily and in a short time by comparing it with other captured images, eliminating the need for re-shooting and requiring the subject to re-shoot. This eliminates wasted time and burden of shooting costs. Further, since the selection is performed in a short time and re-shooting is eliminated, the operating rate of the photographing apparatus 1 can be increased.
[0028]
Images taken by the present invention and output from the image output means 104 include a commemorative photo, cash card, employee ID card, employee ID card, membership ID card, student ID card, ID card, passport, alien registration card and driving Of course, it is also used for licenses. In particular, the image obtained by the present invention is optimal for a certificate because the line of sight faces the front.
[0029]
In this figure, the display means 103 and the image output means 104 are assembled in the photographing apparatus 1, but they may be separately provided.
[0030]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the relationship between each member constituting the photographing apparatus 1 as an embodiment according to the present invention.
[0031]
A chair 3 is placed in front of the photographing means 101, and the subject 2 is seated to take a picture. The photographing by the photographing means 101 is intermittent photographing, and the photographed person 2 is photographed by operating the photographing apparatus 1 while sitting.
[0032]
A control unit 107 such as a central processing unit having a storage unit 108 is connected to the photographing unit 101. The control means 107 is connected to the illumination means 102, the display means 103, the selection means 105, the operation means 106, and the image output means 104.
[0033]
In the case of this figure, the selection means 105 and the operation means 106 are operated by the subject 2.
[0034]
Photographing by the photographing unit 101 is performed when the subject 2 operates the operation unit 106. The illumination unit 102 operates in conjunction with the shooting of the shooting unit 101. The captured image is temporarily stored in the storage unit 108 via the control unit 107. When all the shootings are completed, the photographed person 2 operates the operation unit 106 to display the captured images on the display unit 103 at a time. The user 2 can select a favorite image from a plurality of images displayed on the display unit 103 by operating the selection unit 105.
[0035]
The selected image is stored in the storage means 108 via the control means 107 when the subject 2 operates the operation means 106, and the image information that has not been selected is deleted from the storage means 108, and the selected image information is selected. Only is stored in the storage means 108. The selected image can be output from the image output means 104 when the subject 2 operates the operation means 106.
[0036]
In this figure, one display unit 103 and one image output unit 104 are incorporated in the photographing apparatus via the control unit. However, the display unit 103 and the image output unit 104 are not a single unit but a plurality of units. Alternatively, it may be connected to the control means 107 and installed outside the photographing apparatus.
[0037]
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display format when displaying all the captured images on the display unit 103 at the same time after all the capturing is completed. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram when a large image is displayed for easy selection of an image, each image is given a code, and the image can be specified. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram when the image is displayed so that it can be designated by row and column. (C) of FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram in the case where each image is given a code and displayed so that the image can be designated.
[0038]
The display formats of FIGS. 3A to 3C can be appropriately selected and used from the setting of the number of times of photographing, the size of the display means 103 to be used, the purpose of photographing, and the like. In this figure, the case of one person used for the certificate is taken as an example, but of course, a group photograph of 4 to 5 persons is also possible.
[0039]
When the photographed person 2 selects a favorite image from a plurality of images displayed on the display unit 103, the user 2 can designate the image by operating the selection unit 105 and inputting a code attached to each image. it can. For example, in the case of (a) of FIG. 3, “B” is set, in the case of (b) of FIG. 3, “B-2” and “C-2” are set, and in the case of (c) of FIG. ”And“ 6 ”can be input from the selection means 105 to select an image.
[0040]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example from photographing to image acquisition.
The person to be photographed 2 sits on the chair 3, turns his eyes on the photographing means 101, and photographing starts.
[0041]
In step A <b> 1, when the person to be photographed 2 operates the operation means 106, the image of the person to be photographed 2 is photographed by the photographing means 101. The number of times of photographing can be set by the person to be photographed 2 or can be set in advance by the photographing apparatus 1. Shooting is performed by intermittent shooting that allows the subject 2 to take a favorite facial expression and pose.
[0042]
In step A2, a plurality of images taken are stored in the storage unit 108 via the control unit 107 when the user 2 operates the operation unit 106.
[0043]
In step A3, the shooting is completed when the set number of shootings is completed.
In step A <b> 4, the photographed person 2 operates the operation unit 106, whereby the captured images stored in the storage unit 108 are displayed on the display unit 103 at a time.
[0044]
In step A5, the person to be photographed 2 selects an image that suits his / her preference from the displayed images.
[0045]
In step A 6, in order to designate the selected image, the subject 2 operates the selection unit 105 and inputs the position of the image displayed on the display unit 103, and is stored in the storage unit 108.
[0046]
The image selected by the subject 2 stored in the storage means 108 in step A7 is output from the image output means 104 when the subject 2 operates the operation means 106, and the subject takes his / her own image. Can be obtained. When outputting an image, it is also possible to set it to a desired size and output it.
[0047]
1 to 4 of the present invention show a case where there is no operator of the photographing apparatus 1, but of course, there may be an operator who operates the photographing means 101, the display means 103, and the image output means 104. Absent. However, even in this case, the photographed person 2 selects a favorite image from the displayed images.
[0048]
In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, when an image is captured by a photographing device, an image is displayed on the display unit 103 for each photographing, and the subject's eye is directed to the displayed image. The line of sight is easily removed from the means 101. In order to prevent these problems, the image taken on the display means 103 is displayed at a time when all the photographing is finished, so that the line of sight of the subject 2 at the time of photographing can be directed to the front. Since the selected images are displayed at once, it is easy to select the desired image.
[0049]
As a result, it was possible to pay a fee for an image that does not match the user's intention and to take a picture again, so that the photographer no longer has to spend unnecessary time and cost for photographing again.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
It is possible to provide a photographing apparatus and an image acquisition method capable of obtaining a favorite image with a line of sight facing in front in a short time without degrading the quality of the image that can be photographed. As a result, there was no cost associated with re-taking, and the burden on the subject was reduced. In addition, since the selection of a favorite image was performed in a short time and there was no need to re-shoot, the operating rate of the photographing apparatus increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a subject takes a picture by operating a photographing apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the relationship between members constituting the photographing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display format when displaying a photographed image at a time on the display means after all photographing is completed.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example from shooting to image acquisition.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image | photographing apparatus 101 Image | photographing means 102 Illumination means 103 Display means 104 Image output means 105 Selection means 106 Operation means 107 Control means 108 Storage means 2 Subject 3 Subject 3 Chair

Claims (5)

Photographing means for photographing the subject;
Operation means for causing the photographing means to perform photographing of the photographed person once for each operation by the photographed person;
Without displaying the each imaging an image captured by the imaging means, after a predetermined plurality of times of photographing by the photographing means has been completed, display means for displaying the image captured by the imaging means at a time,
Selecting means for selecting an arbitrary image from the images displayed on the display means;
Storage means for storing the image selected by the selection means;
Image output means for outputting the image stored in the storage means;
A photographing apparatus comprising:   The selection means is a means for performing selection by an artificial operation of the photographed person, wherein the photographed person selects an arbitrary image from the images displayed on the display means. The imaging device according to claim 1. For each operation of the operating means by the subject, the photographing means takes a picture of the subject once,
Without displaying on the display means for each take an image taken by the imaging means, after a predetermined plurality of times of photographing is completed by the imaging means, the image captured by the imaging unit on the display unit at a time Display
An arbitrary image is selected from the images displayed on the display means by a selection means,
Storing the selected image by a storage means;
An image acquisition method characterized in that an image is obtained by outputting the stored image by an output means.   The selection means is a means for performing selection by an artificial operation of the photographed person, wherein the photographed person selects an arbitrary image from the images displayed on the display means. The method for acquiring an image according to claim 3.   4. The image acquisition method according to claim 3, wherein if there is no image to be selected by the selection unit among the images displayed on the display unit, the image capturing unit performs image capturing again.

Images